Back to school faced with construction, shortage of crossing guards

Children across New Brunswick are heading back to school today, as Fredericton construction projects wrap up just in time for increased traffic, and the Fredericton police call for more crossing guards.

Fredericton construction slowly wraps up as students head back to school

Angela Bosse CBC News Posted: Sep 04, 2018 6:28 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 4, 2018

It will be warm and humid Tuesday with the chance of an isolated shower as students in New Brunswick head back to class. (Shutterstock)

Children across the province are trading their swim towels for backpacks today.

Sept. 4 marks the first day of school in New Brunswick.

This means more children will be on the roads and sidewalks as they make their way to their classrooms.

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Most summer construction projects are wrapping up just in time for the increased traffic, but not all the construction headaches are over yet.

Fredericton's project engineer Greg McCann said Smythe Street will be reopened at 7 a.m. today, but cautioned drivers to take it slow, as it hasn't been paved yet. He said it will be paved during off peak hours by the end of week.

Construction on Smythe Street, Riverside Drive, Lincoln Road and Forest Hill Road are wrapping up, with some paving still to be done. (City of Fredericton)

Riverside Drive and Lincoln Road opened Friday.

Forest Hill Road is open, but traffic is still closed on the Rte. 8 overpass going up the hill, McCannsaid in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.

The Ring Road construction is expected to be complete by mid-October.

While some students will be hopping on school buses or being dropped off by parents for today's first day, others will be hitting the sidewalks to walk to school.

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This means the city's crossing guards are back to work, but Fredericton police Insp.Kim Quartermain said there are not quite enough guards to go around.

There is currently one vacancy for a permanent crossing guard position, but Quartermain said they don't have any temporary crossing guards, who fill in when one guard may be sick or unavailable.

Fredericton police inspector Kim Quartermain said the city needs more crossing guards. (Daniel McHardie/CBC)

The police force is looking to create a pool of temporary crossing guards, along with filling the opening in Kingsclear Consolidated of the Trans Canada Highway.

"It's not your typical 8:30 to 4:30 type of employment," Quartermain said in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.

Regular crossing guards can expect to work 15 hours a week, Monday to Friday. They make a minimum wage salary and get statutory holidays off, following the school calendar.

"A lot of our crossing guards are longtime employees with us, they are retired," Quartermain said.

"We try to make them part of our policing family."

With files from Information Morning Fredericton

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